A Step-By-Step Advisory On Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets

If there are no major physical defects in your kitchen cabinets, then applying a fresh coat of paint is an easy and cost-effective solution to giving your kitchen a quick renovation. You can hire an expert to do this job, or you can even do it yourself. Even though brushing the surfaces and repainting the them may take a couple of weeks, it is a worthwhile process as you can give the cabinets a glass-surface smooth finish. Here are some things to keep in mind when you paint your kitchen cabinets.

Prepare the room for painting first. Clear the cabinets and shelves before you start applying a fresh coat of paint. Relocate furniture and tables, and remove free standing appliances from the kitchen. Cover all surfaces with plastic sheets and rosin paper. The materials you require are paint, primer, degreaser or a TSP, an angular brush, sandpaper, sponges, gloves and tack cloth.

Step 1: Remove all drawer fronts and cabinet doors. If there are any hardwares that are attached to them, then it will be wise to remove those as well.

Step 2: Use the degreaser or TSP to clean each and every corner of the cabinets, drawers and cabinet boxes. If you are sensitive to chemicals, then wear gloves for protection.

Step 3: If you have dings in your cabinet, and you want to change the hardware, then plug the present holes on the cabinet surface using wood putty. Sand the cabinet boxes and cabinets using a 100-grit self-grained sandpaper. Use the sandpaper thoroughly all over the surface to achieve the best results.

Step 4: Use a vacuum to remove as much sawdust as you possibly can from the surface of the cabinets and drawers.

Step 5: Using the tack cloth, wipe away the remaining sawdust from the cabinet surface. Ensure that the surface is as clean as possible as remains of residual dirt and grease will prevent the fresh coat of paint from properly settling on the surface and chipping off easily.

Step 6: Following this, you can start applying the primer, beginning with the inner panels. First, apply it in the direction that is opposite to the grain, and then in the direction of the alignment. Allow this coat of primer to dry completely before you do anything more.

Step 7: Sand the surface once again after the primer has dried. Use a sandpaper with very fine grit, one that ranges around 220. Rub away uneven brush strokes and primer. Create a surface that is as smooth as possible.

Step 8: Once again, use a vacuum cleaner to remove all the sawdust that might have accumulated on the surface.

Step 9: Use a tack cloth and smoothen all rough and uneven surfaces. Jagged surfaces often cause paint to chip away from the surface more quickly than desirable.

Repeat procedures 6 to 9 once, or maybe twice if required. For the paint to hold fast, you need to apply and rub the primer to form a smooth surface at least two to three times. Every time you do this, make sure that the primer is totally dry and that you sand it thoroughly to attain the most perfect surface texture of your cabinets and drawers.

Step 10: Your drawers and cabinets are now ready to receive a new coat of paint. Use the angled brush and start with the back panels just as you had done with the primer. Take precaution that you apply the paint according to the alignment of the grains on the cabinet surface. Apply a thin coat first, let it dry, then turn over the surface and apply paint on the other side. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly by placing the cabinet-parts on a level surface.

Once the surfaces dry, then reapply the second coat, and if necessary, a third coat. Always take care to use a tack cloth to smoothen out the uneven surfaces.

Optional step: There is another controversial method of applying water-based polyurethane paint and sanding it between the coats. Some experts claim that using this may cause your cabinets to develop a yellow tinge over time. However, it is purely up to you to decide the type of paint you choose for your cabinets.

Step 11: Once the dismantled parts have completely dried, you can re-assemble and re-attach them along with the hardware. You will have completely refaced kitchen cabinets and drawers and a freshly remodeled kitchen.

Remodeling your kitchen need not cost you a fortune if you know the correct method of doing it. You might take slightly longer than trained professionals, but it is an exercise that will yield definite, positive and desired results when carried out thoroughly and carefully.